Sunday, September 25, 2011

In the last couple of months, I've dived head first into the world of Japanese 80's under-underground music. The dedicated bloggers at Stalking Duppi, Habit Of Sex, and a few others are solely responsible. This is a mix of some personal favorites I've found. The music is difficult to describe -- truly unique, dark, and sublime. I've included links to the tracks' respective posts.

Debut LP from this dark-electronic duo. Nord is best known for the tense, minimal pulse-isms of their second and third LPs, LSD and Ego Trip. This one is much more abrasive, but still hints at the atmosphere they would conjure later.

Friday, September 23, 2011

From what I understand, this is what R.N.A. Organism morphed in to. Excellent repetitive experimental funk in the Czukay/Plank tradition. Atelier Peyotl was also responsible for the fantastic international compilation, Sound Cosmodel.

The second track, "dB", is the obvious standout. A whoosh of atonal guitar... precise, in-the-pocket rhythm section, hypnotic bell-synth (?) line, chanted/effected vocals.... all of this, within a crowded train station during a thunderstorm. Great stuff.

Posted years ago in the vast and essential archive which is Mutant Sounds. Supposedly recorded from 1975-77, but released by the highly sought-after Japanese Pinakotheca label in 1981 (in an awesome triangular sleeve).

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The fantastic debut LP from France's under-appreciated avant-electronic unit. This is their only release that wasn't available for preview on the web. I thought I would change that.

Side A is quite an ambient venture in a similar synthetic, murky realm as maybe Mask Of The Imperial Family or a more muffled Empirical Sleeping Consort. Side B hints more in the direction of the record's successor, Diabolus In Mecanica, with its excellent use of rhythm boxes, sound generators and strange vocals- a la early Esplendor Geometrico, or possibly Bryn Jones' pre-Muslimgauze moniker E.g. Oblique Graph.